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Buying a home in Lake City, Florida

The typical owner-occupied home in Lake City is worth about $184,900, 48% below the Florida median of $359,000 and 44% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,448 a year in property taxes, about 0.78% of their home's value, close to the Florida rate of 0.76%. The median household earns $56,472 a year, so the median home costs 3.3 times the median income (4.8 times for Florida). 40% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 52% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lake City at a glance

Lake City Florida U.S.
Median home value $184,900 $359,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,448 $2,730 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.78% 0.76% 0.94%
Median household income $56,472 $74,568 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 40% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 52% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,407 $1,959 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.1% 23.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,040 $1,669 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.7% 35.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1980 1988 1980
Vacant homes 8.6% 14.7% 10.1%
Population 12,515 22,416,077 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lake City

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lake City home of $184,900 with 20% down costs about $1,192 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,500, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $51,099 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 25% of the median Lake City household income of $56,472; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $204,000.

The median rent here is $1,040 a month, so owning the median home costs about $152 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$36,980
Loan amount$147,920
Principal and interest$995
Property taxes (0.78% a year)$120
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$77
PMI$0
Total per month$1,192

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$6,472
Loan amount$181,551
Principal and interest$1,221
Property taxes (0.78% a year)$120
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$77
FHA mortgage insurance$82
Total per month$1,500

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Questions about home buying in Lake City

What is the median home value in Lake City?

About $184,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lake City?

Homeowners pay a median $1,448 a year, which is about 0.78% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Lake City?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,192 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $51,099 a year.

More about Lake City

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data